YELLOW SPRINGS

QUARTERLY CLIMATE

CHANGE REPORT

Presented to the Yellow Springs Village Council by the Yellow Springs

Environmental Commission

First Quarter

2015

Contents Document Overview........................................................................................................................................................... 1

The Science of and Current State of Climate Change ........................................................................................... 2

The Worldview and National View ............................................................................................................................... 7

Climate Change and Climate Action ....................................................................................................................... 7

Beyond Climate Action to Resilience and Adaptability .................................................................................... 8

The Village View .................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Anticipated Impacts of Climate Change to Yellow Springs ............................................................................ 9

Climate Change Related Actions In and Around Yellow Springs .............................................................. 11

What Other Communities in Our Area Are Doing .......................................................................................... 13

Recommendations and Opportunities ................................................................................................................ 18

References........................................................................................................................................................................... 22

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 1

Document Overview

This report is prepared by the Yellow Springs Environmental Commission (YSEC) to inform and

help guide the actions of the Yellow Springs Village Council relative to climate change. The report

is intended to provide a basic overview of the current state of climate change, actions being taken

relative to climate change and opportunities for Yellow Springs to take action. Since the YSEC

serves as one of the community’s leading authorities on environmental issues, recommendations

are made to the Village Council and to the community at large based upon our understanding of

the issues and our relative expertise concerning the subject. It is not the aim of the authors of this

report to be alarmist, though the nature of many of the anticipated impacts of climate change are

inherently alarming. The bulk of the content is drawn directly from leading authorities on the

subject, including scientific and non-profit organizations, as well as national and international

governmental agencies.

Although the process of climate change is well established, the issues surrounding climate change

and climate action are complex and evolving. There is much ground to cover in this initial report,

and we have worked to keep it brief considering the gravity of the issues at hand. In order to

improve the readability of future versions of this report, we will build upon this foundation and

highlight new and updated content.

Note to readers: This document is designed to be read in about 20 minutes based upon an average

reading speed for American adults1.

Report Authors

Author: Duard Headley

Contributors: Jessica D'Ambrosio , Tom Dietrich, Nadia Malarkey, Marianne McQueen

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The Science, Current State and Future of Climate Change

Over Nearly 200 Years of Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change Science

“Scientific identification of anthropogenic climate change and assessments of the potential

consequences date back nearly 200 years. The warming effect of an enhanced greenhouse effect was

first recognized in 1827 by French scientist Jean-Baptiste Fourier. In 1896, Svante Arrhenius, a

Swedish chemist, first calculated the effect of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere and predicted that a doubling of CO2 would lead to an increase in average global

temperatures of 5 to 6˚ C (9 to 11˚ F), a result remarkably similar to current projections. He

estimated, however, that it would take another 3,000 years of fossil fuel burning to reach a doubling

of CO2,”2 something that many models predict will happen by the end of the century.3 The

greenhouse gas effect is now accepted as scientific fact. In fact, without it the earth would be too

cold for life to exist, similar to Mars.

Figure 1: Greenhouse Gas Effect - Diagram by NASA4

Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests, have been

causing global concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) to increase for the past 200 years. “The

largest single source of atmospheric (CO2) is the burning of fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas), which

currently accounts for ~80% of the annual emission of CO2 into the atmosphere.”5 These increased

CO2 concentrations act like more efficient windows on a greenhouse trapping more of the heat

from the sun, causing the internal temperature to rise. This effect will continue into the future and

accelerate as concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere.

Numerous measurements have confirmed increases over the past 200 years and computer models

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of future CO2 predict even more dramatic increases over the next 85 years.6

Current State of Climate Change

Effects of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are being felt throughout the world

including:

January 2014 CO2 levels were the highest ever recorded.7

2014 was the warmest year of average global temperature in recorded history.8

Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any

preceding decade since 1850.9

2014 Arctic sea ice lowest winter extent on record.10

Sea level has risen 70mm (2.75”) in the last 20 years.11

“In recent decades, changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems

on all continents and across the oceans.” These impacts include: negative impacts on

livelihood of poor people, negative impacts on crops and impacts to the behaviors and

abundance of terrestrial, freshwater and marine species.12

The Future of Climate Change

Although climate change is a normal part of the earth’s global weather patterns as evidenced by

past ice ages and periods of warming, these changes typically take place over centuries or

millennia. The climate changes currently underway are taking place over decades. Climate

change will continue to happen at an accelerated pace.

According to the US EPA website13 over the coming decades climate change will:

Increase earth's average temperature by approximately

o 1-3° C (1.8-5.4° F) over the next 35 years

o 3-8°C (5.4-14.4° F) by the end of this century

Influence the patterns and amounts of precipitation

o Global rain patterns are expected to shift dramatically

o In the US

Summers are expected to be drier;

Spring and winter will be wetter in the north and drier in the south;

Atlantic Hurricanes are expected to increase in intensity.

Reduce ice and snow cover, as well as permafrost

o Sea level rise is expected to be 1-1.5 feet by 2050 and 2.6 to 6 feet by the end of

the century.

Increase the acidity of the oceans

o This will result in decreasing populations of plankton, mollusks, shellfish, and corals

all which play crucial roles in our marine ecosystems.

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Anticipated Global Impacts of Climate Change

“Climate change threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world -

access to water, food production, health, and use of land and the environment.”14

“With rapid climate change, one-fourth of Earth’s species could be headed for

extinction by 2050”15

The world is already experiencing the initial impacts of climate change. Potential anticipated

impacts of climate change include but are not limited to: global economic losses, forced

displacement of people, water scarcity, decreased global food yields and global marine food

supply disruption.

Global Economic Losses

“The next 15 years will be critical, as the global economy undergoes a deep structural transformation

that will determine the future of the world’s climate system. It will not be ‘business as usual.’”16

“Climate change to date and the present carbon economy are estimated to have already lowered

global output by 1.6% of world GDP or by around 1.2 trillion dollars (2010 PPP). Losses are expected

to increase rapidly, reaching … 3.2% of GDP in net average global losses by 2030.”17

Forced Displacement of People

Forced displacement due to climate change will take place around the globe including in the U.S.

International Organization for Migration states, “Future forecasts vary from 25 million to 1 billion

environmental migrants by 2050, moving either within their countries or across borders, on a

permanent or temporary basis, with 200 million being the most widely cited estimate.”18

Water Scarcity

“Water scarcity impacts people’s lives in many countries already today. Future population growth

will increase the demand for freshwater even further. Yet in addition to this, on the supply side,

water resources will be affected by projected changes in rainfall and evaporation. Climate change

due to unabated greenhouse-gas emissions within our century is likely to put 40 percent more

people at risk of absolute water scarcity than would be without climate change”19

Likely Decreased Global Food Yields

Understanding the impacts of climate change on world food production is an especially complex

task. In addition to considering anticipated changes in climate impacts of these changes such as

increases in severe weather events, changes in pest infestations, as well as our ability to increase

and sustain irrigation in areas impacted by decreases in rainfall all have to be considered. A

simplified form of this picture is presented in Figure 2: Food Losses from Greenhouse Gas

Pollution. One of the most recent studies concluded: “By mid-century, climate change will have

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large biophysical impact on crops yields, equivalent to a −18% to +3% change…”20 This means that

while there is some chance that climate change could result in positive impact to global food

production, most predicted outcomes have a negative impact on food supplies over the next 35

years. This result seems to be consistent with other research to date in this area21, 22.

Figure 2: Food Losses from Greenhouse Gas Pollution23

The Marine Food Chain Could Be Severely Disrupted and Suffer Significant Yield

Reductions in Key Areas

The world’s oceans are absorbing heat and carbon dioxide resulting in acidifications. These

changes and anticipated changes in global ocean currents will bring significant changes to marine

life. “Due to projected climate change by the mid-21st century and beyond, global marine species

redistribution and marine biodiversity reduction in sensitive regions will challenge the sustained

provision of fisheries productivity and other ecosystem services.”24

Impacts in the United States

It’s not just the rest of the world that is experiencing the impacts of climate change, they are

happening here in the United States as well. “The National Climate Assessment summarizes the

impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future. A team of more than 300

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experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was

extensively reviewed by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the

National Academy of Sciences.”25 The third National Climate Assessment was published in May of

2014 and can be downloaded at: http://www.globalchange.gov/nca3-downloads-materials. It

states:

“Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present.

Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont

are all observing climate-related changes that are outside of recent experience. So, too, are coastal

planners in Florida, water managers in the arid Southwest, city dwellers from Phoenix to New York,

and Native Peoples on tribal lands from Louisiana to Alaska. This National Climate Assessment

concludes that the evidence of human-induced climate change continues to strengthen and that

impacts are increasing across the country.”26

Slowing and Reversing Climate Change

While significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can help slow climate change, reversing

climate change is not practical over any reasonable timeline. NOAA sums this up neatly saying,

“changes in surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1,000

years after carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are completely stopped.”27 That said, curbing

greenhouse gas emissions at an aggressive rate starting now could minimize warming and

prevent much of the catastrophic changes predicted by continuing current rates of emissions.

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The Worldview and National View

Climate Change and Climate Action

Collectively the world has largely acknowledged climate change as fact and committed to taking

action. In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 62% of Americans agreed that there is “solid

evidence that the earth has been warming.”28 In 1992 the United States joined United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which now has 195 members and includes

all UN member states as well as several observer states. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was

developed by UNFCCC and went into effect in 2005. The Kyoto protocol called for significant

reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by UNFCCC member countries.

Unfortunately, the global commitments that have been made are, in general, not being kept.

Climate Action Tracker (http://climateactiontracker.org/) “is an independent science-based

assessment, which tracks the emission commitments and actions of countries.”29 They simply state:

“currently implemented policies are not yet sufficient to meet the stated pledges”30 and back the

statement up with detailed assessments of the commitments and actions of national governments

around the world. The inability of effective action at the national level and the drive to mitigate

climate change has led private and non-profit organizations and local communities to act

independently from national governments.

Communities throughout the world have acknowledged climate change and have been taking

action on climate change for over two decades. The Climate Alliance, formed 25 years ago, has

“over 1,700 cities, municipalities and districts in 24 European countries…” who “have committed

themselves to reducing their impacts locally…” Climate Alliance members have specifically

committed “to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% every five years and to halve per capita emissions by

2030 (from a 1990 baseline).” 31

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, also formed in 1990, helps local governments with

Climate Action Planning and related topics. ICLEI has over 450 member local governments in the

US and over 1000 worldwide. Communities in the United States have been developing Climate

Action Plans for at least the last 15 year if not longer. The City of Burlington, Vermont published

their first Climate Action Plan in 2000.

These are just a couple of the numerous organizations that help local governments understand

and address climate change issues. They provide a good picture into the Worldview on climate

change and climate action. ICLEI also provides a timeline of local climate action that provides a

more complete picture. This timeline can be found at: http://www.iclei.org/climate-

roadmap/about-us/timeline-1990-2007.html

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Beyond Climate Action to Resilience and Adaptability

The world has started to move beyond the debate about the reality of climate change and is

starting to take action to mitigate the change, identify vulnerabilities, plan for adaptation and

create resilience for the impacts of global climate change. This shift is taking place because of

the evidence of change, such as that cited above, and a shift of the debate from the causality of

change to a growing acknowledgement that the change is happening regardless of causality.

“Governments at various levels are starting to develop adaptation plans and policies and to

integrate climate-change considerations into broader development plans.”32 “American cities on the

frontline of climate action are quietly but dramatically shifting their approach—from primarily

trying to limit global warming to coping with its impacts.”33

“’Adaptation refers to efforts by society or ecosystems to prepare for or adjust to future climate

change. These adjustments can be protective (i.e., guarding against negative impacts of climate

change), or opportunistic (i.e., taking advantage of any beneficial effects of climate change).”34

Resilience is “a capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant

multihazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy, and the

environment.”35

Climate change adaptation and resilience are now generally a part of most climate action related

efforts. Relative to climate change adaptation the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) “builds and strengthens national institutional capacities for vulnerability assessment and

adaptation planning, and supports national efforts to integrate climate change adaptation measures

into development planning and ecosystem management practices.”36

At the national level there is also a realization that we need to move beyond efforts just to

mitigate climate change through reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The National Climate

Assessment published in 2014 states, “Actions to reduce emissions, increase carbon uptake, adapt

to a changing climate, and increase resilience to impacts that are unavoidable can improve public

health, economic development, ecosystem protection, and quality of life.”37

Local Governments are also moving beyond working just to mitigate the severity of climate

change through climate action plans. ICLEI has a Resilient City program through which a

participating city “reduces its vulnerability by building on its capacity to respond to climate change

challenges.”38 Another international organization helping communities develop resilience is the

Transition Network, which touts itself as “a charitable organisation whose role is to inspire,

encourage, connect, support and train communities as they self-organise around the Transition

model, creating initiatives that rebuild resilience and reduce CO2 emissions.”39 There are nearly 500

transition town initiatives worldwide and 150 in the U.S. We must create new resilient behaviors

and communities that replace our current carbon dependent behaviors and communities.

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The Village View

All communities are facing local impacts of climate change. Only with a good knowledge of the

community’s resources and infrastructure can we develop a climate action plan that effectively

reduces our GHG emissions and helps us develop resilience to climate change. Here we take a

look at how climate change impacts Yellow Springs, what our infrastructure and policy says about

our current resiliency, what other similar communities are doing, and what actions we can take

(recommendations) now and in the future.

Anticipated Impacts of Climate Change to Yellow Springs

The anticipated impacts of climate change to Yellow Springs fall into two broad groups: direct

impacts and indirect impacts. Direct impacts are those that result from changes to the climate in

our region. Indirect impacts are those that result from climate change in other regions upon

which Yellow Springs is dependent. The indirect impacts of climate change will likely be more

significant to our community than will the direct impacts.

Anticipated Direct Impacts of Climate Change to Yellow Springs (and Our Region)

The primary anticipated direct impacts in the state of Ohio as detailed by the federal

government40 will be:

Water deficits resulting from more precipitation in the winter and spring with less in the

summer along with increased evaporation in summer;

Increased extreme weather severity and intensity such as heat waves and floods;

Reduced air quality resulting from more frequent heat waves;

Increase waterborne disease transmission due to more frequent flooding;

Agricultural challenges resulting from a mix of longer growing seasons along with

summer water deficits and increased “heat waves, floods, droughts, insects, and weeds.“

A recent study of the Economic Impacts of Climate Change to Ohio found: “The state of Ohio's

greatest challenge is likely to be in adapting to climate change along its waterways and on Lake

Erie, as this is where the most significant economic and ecological impacts will occur. Building and

maintaining an alternative transportation infrastructure would allow Ohio to maintain its vibrant

manufacturing industry amidst sea-shipping uncertainty, but the costs of the sort of adaptation

needs to first be researched. Natural areas such as forests and lakes will suffer from climate change.

The ecological integrity of Ohio’s natural landscape will be threatened in the coming century and it

is recommended that management of resources be carefully monitored to ensure the wellbeing of

the economic and cultural functions that depend on them. Lastly, because flooding events are likely

to occur more often, preparations to prevent and mitigate floods and flood related disasters could be

made ahead of time.”41

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Anticipated Indirect Impacts of Climate Change to Yellow Springs – We don’t live in a

bubble.

Although the consequences of the anticipated direct impacts of climate change to Yellow Springs

may be significant, it is the indirect impacts that could radically change the world which call for

decisive local action. Said differently, if we only experience climate change in Yellow Springs and

the surrounding region and the rest of the world did not, we could likely fare fairly well. We don’t

and cannot live in this kind of a bubble. We are highly dependent upon other regions in the

world. Most of our food, clothing, durable goods, energy, and so on come from outside our

village and region. Changes in those areas will likely impact the supply of these items. This

impact will be amplified as the demand for most of these things goods and resources is expected

to continue to increase in the future.

One of the “Lessons Learned” from the study of Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Ohio by

the University of Maryland is that: “The effects of climate change should not be considered in

isolation. Every state’s economy is linked to the economies of surrounding states as well as to the

national and global economy. While the economic costs of climate change are predicted to vary

significantly from state to state, the negative impacts that regional, national and global markets

may experience are likely to affect all states and many sectors.”42 This lesson applies directly to

Yellow Springs as well. A few of the likely indirect impacts of climate change on Yellow Springs

are detailed below.

Increased Cost of Living

The costs of coping with climate change, losses of productivity and supply chain disruptions will

all contribute to cost increases for all the goods that are produced outside of our region. Since

most of us are almost entirely dependent upon these sources for the things we use in our daily

way of life, the cost of living will increase as the impacts of climate change set in.

Disruptions to Many of Our Current Food Sources

Currently, much of our fresh fruit and vegetables come from California, Mexico, and Central and

South America, especially during the winter months. It is anticipated that climate change will

result in significant temperature increases and rainfall decreases in these area. These changes

pose real threats to food production that are not yet fully understood. Changes to marine and

global food production threaten to make food from these sources scarcer and more expensive as

well.

Less Money Available from Federal, State and Private Sources

Preparing for and reacting to increased frequency of extreme weather events and the impacts of

longer term changes like rising oceans and falling water levels in Lake Erie will require more

money from federal, state and non-profit sources. As a result, less money will be available from

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these sources for Yellow Springs.

Mass Migration and Security Threats

“Global warming is likely to increase the number of "climate refugees"—people who are forced to

leave their homes because of drought, flooding, or other climate-related disasters. Mass

movements of people and social disruption may lead to civil unrest, and might even spur military

intervention and other unintended consequences.”43

Climate Change Related Actions In and Around Yellow Springs

This section reports the climate related and relevant actions that are being taken in Yellow

Springs. Even though we do not have a formal climate action plan for our community, we are

taking action. The categories below closely follow the ICLEI Climate Action Plan format (described

in the section below: The Climate Action Planning Process). This approach is being taken for

consistency and simplicity with the recognition that much of the action in the areas such as Energy

Production, Waste and Recycling, and Water and Water Management are being driven by the local

government. It is thought that this approach will be beneficial should Yellow Springs decide to

commit to the climate action process.

Climate Change Related Actions – Individuals, Businesses and Organizations

The following list is an attempt to show the type of actions being taken. It is by no means a

complete list. Additionally, most of the actions listed below are being taken by only small subsets

of our community. If you have additional actions that are being taken in Yellow Springs to reduce

GHG emissions or increase resilience, please contact the author of this report so they can be

included in future updates.

Buildings

o Commercial & Industrial

New Construction

Hotel

Retrofits

Antioch Geothermal Project

Glen Helen Building

North Hall

o Residential

New Construction

Passive Houses

Highly Energy Efficient Houses

Straw Bale Houses

Tiny Houses

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Numerous Retrofits and Upgrades

Utilization of the Efficiency Smart program by businesses and

residents

Energy Production

o Yellow Springs municipal power plan to >80% renewable by 2016. This is an

increase of >36% versus 2010.

o Local Solar

1MW Array at Antioch

Residential Solar Installations

Proposed Community Solar

Waste and Recycling

o Community-wide recycling

o Backyard Composting

o Proposed - New Waste Contract with Green Vehicles…

Water and Wastewater Management

o Wellhead Protection Plan - Resilience

o Installation of high efficiency fixtures

o Alternative Lawns

o Rain barrels for watering lawn and gardens

Transportation

o Walking

o Bicycling

o Personal Vehicles

Highly energy efficient cars abound: Sea of Prius

Electric vehicles are starting to show up in Yellow Springs and are especially

relevant as our electricity approaches 80+ percent renewable.

Cross-Cutting and Other Strategies

o Curtailment Lifestyles

Industrial Manufacturing

o Xylem sustainable manufacturing

Agricultural Production and Food

o Local Food Production

Community Supported Agriculture

Local Growers and Farmers Market

Backyard and Community Gardens

Backyard Chickens

o Enviroflight - Sustainable Feed alternatives

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Climate Change Related Actions – the Village Government Operations

Again, following the ICLEI Climate Action Plan structure, this section contains only climate related

actions taken by the village government relative to village government operations. Notably

energy and water and waste services are included in the community section even though they are

services provided by the village government.

Buildings

o Supporting tiny houses & small yard spaces.

Waste and Recycling

o Including low GHG emissions considerations in waste removal contract – Planned

Vehicles

o Electric Vehicle Charging Stations - Planned

Cross-Cutting and Other Strategies

o LED Lighting Downtown

o Utilizing natural (and lower GHG) weed control methods

What Other Communities in Our Area Are Doing

This section is included to provide a frame of reference for our actions. Communities throughout

Ohio and the nation as well as around the world are taking action on climate change.

Climate Action Planning

A Climate Action Plan (CAP) details the current state and actions that a specific community,

organization, state, region, or country will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Climate

Action Plans are formalized plans that call for specific actions that will result lowering greenhouse

emissions to specific levels. Climate action plans seek to mitigate the severity of climate change

by lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The Climate Action Planning Process

The climate action planning process begins with a commitment to climate action and the

establishment of a climate action taskforce typically led by the local government. ICLEI is the

leading organization which helps local communities with Climate Action Planning. In Ohio there

are currently 7 ICLEI member communities/cities: Akron, Alliance, Athens, Cincinnati, Cleveland,

Oberlin and Youngstown. The ICLEI climate action planning process consists of five steps depicted

in Figure 3: The ICLEI Climate Action Planning Process (source:

http://www.icleiusa.org/climate_and_energy/climate_mitigation_guidance).

Figure 3: The ICLEI Climate Action Planning Process (source:

http://www.icleiusa.org/climate_and_energy/climate_mitigation_guidance)

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The ICLEI climate action plan template can be downloaded and viewed here:

http://www.icleiusa.org/library/documents/SEEC_Climate%20Action_Planning_Templates.zip/view

Drawing heavily on the ICLEI process, the climate action component of a CAP is generally broken

down along the lines of the major areas:

Buildings

o Commercial & Industrial

o Residential

Energy Production

Waste and Recycling

Water and Wastewater Management

Transportation

Additionally, strategies and actions that apply to many or all of these areas (cross-cutting

strategies) may be broken out separately as are those that apply specifically to local

government operations, such as the GHG emissions associated with the vehicles used to

provide services and the buildings used by local government.

Local governments, individuals and organizations are taking action in all of these areas.

Interestingly the GHG emissions associated with industrial manufacturing and agricultural

production and food do not fit neatly into the ICLEI model but are worthy of consideration within

a climate action plan as they account for the lion’s share of GHG emissions.

Notable among the Ohio cities that have joined ICLEI and developed climate action plans is

Oberlin. Although slightly larger, Oberlin has many similarities with Yellow Springs, but has been

more deliberate with its climate action planning. Oberlin started climate action planning in 2009

and in 2011 committed to reducing GHG emissions by 50% by 2015, 75% by 2030 and being net

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positive for GHG emissions by 2050. Net positive for GHG emissions would mean that they their

overall GHG emissions would be lower than the 2007 levels used for their baseline. Oberlin has

achieved their 2015 reduction target and has been nationally recognized by the White House as a

Climate Action Champions for Leadership on Climate Change. They are also in the running for a

$5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize for their efforts.

Climate Actions Taken by Other Local Governments

Climate Action must be related to the realities of GHG emission sources and climate risks specific

to the community where they are happening. Some, but not all, of these actions will be directly

applicable to Yellow Springs because we have similar conditions. The below list focuses on

actions taken by governments of relatively small localities.

Buildings (Commercial, Industrial and Residential)

o Promoting retrofitting of existing structures by promoting programs available to

home owners through energy providers and state and federal government

programs

o Passing ordinances requiring or recommending that new structures meet advanced

environmental standards

o Providing incentives to building owners that meet or exceed environmental

standards such as favorable tax rates

o Providing green building audit programs

o Helping renters by encouraging and incentivizing owners to upgrade rentals and

by educating them on energy efficiency

Energy Production

o Switching to renewable sources similar to what Yellow Springs is doing - By 2017

88% of Oberlin Ohio’s electricity will be from renewable sources (Oberlin has

chosen to include nuclear as a non-greenhouse gas electricity source.)

o Encouraging residential solar by doing things like changed zoning laws and waiving

building permit fees

Waste and Recycling

o Expanding recycling programs

o Implementing household composting programs

o Implementing “Pay-as-you-throw” to encourage waste reduction and elimination

o Adopting policies intended to achieve zero waste to landfills

o Implementing curbside yard waste and food scrap collection

Water and Wastewater Management

o Promoting home water and wastewater efficiency including everything from

shorter showers to permeable pavement alternatives.

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Transportation

o Walking and Bicycling- Promoting and investing in infrastructure

o No Idling Campaigns

o Installing traffic control devices that minimize fuel waste such as roundabouts and

intelligent traffic light systems

o Encouraging use of electric and highly efficient cars by providing charging stations

and “green car” parking

o Lobbying federal government to increase CAFÉ standards for cars and light trucks.

o Shop locally campaigns

Cross-Cutting and Other Strategies

o Climate change outreach and education programs

o Creating Energy Efficiency/Environmental Coordinator positions

o Issuing energy consumption reduction challenges to their communities both

residential and commercial

o Developing ordinances and implementing zoning and infrastructure that support

development and redevelopment that minimizes the need for transportation other

than walking and bicycles

o Green lawn campaigns that encourage planting of low maintenance lawns,

meadows and prairies

o Tree planting campaigns for carbon sequestration

o Developing preferred vendor lists of vendors that provide lower GHG alternatives

or services to help reduce carbon emissions

Local Government Operations

o Migrating fleet to lowest emissions vehicles usable for each purpose

o Conducting audits and implementing retrofits on local government-owned

buildings to meet advanced environmental standards

o Passing ordinances that require new local government owned buildings to meet

advanced environmental standards

o Installing solar water and electric panels on local government owned buildings

o Requiring the purchase of products with smaller carbon footprints

Industrial Manufacturing

o Developing green industry programs to help local industries reduce their energy

use and GHG emissions

Agricultural Production and Food

o Promoting minimization of high carbon footprint foods such as red meats and

dairy

o Promoting backyard, local and organic food sources

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Adaptability and Resilience

As mentioned in The Worldview and National View section, adaptability and resilience are

becoming an important focus for climate action. Improving the resilience of a community helps it

better adapt to the impacts of climate change as well as other major changes or extreme events.

Adaptation and resilience will be themes that are brought in increasingly in future reports and as

the science, tools, and policies become better developed.

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Recommendations - Climate Change Related Opportunities

Through the actions of individuals, organizations and the village government, Yellow Springs has

started on the journey toward reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions, but we are far from the

level of action that is required of all people in the United States to help slow global warming.

Since neither formal targets have been set for Yellow Springs nor has a baseline emissions study

been completed, it is impossible to say if we are meeting our goals. Similarly, the nature of our

community and the fact that we have started taking action without a formalized plan shows that

we have the beginnings of becoming adaptable and resilient. However, we have not set objectives

or goals in this area either.

Opportunities for Village Government

The opportunities presented here focus on a few of the most important the near-term

opportunities. Ideally, future recommendations will be the product of a formalized climate action

planning process.

Establish a Timeline and Pathway to Begin the Climate Action, Adaptability and Community

Resilience Planning Process

Minimizing or eliminating our GHG emissions and creating a resilient Yellow Springs is a prudent

course of action, considering the current pace and irreversible nature of climate change, the

anticipated impacts, and the relatively slow pace of global action. Relative to climate change, the

benefits of taking action often outweigh the costs, even from a purely financial perspective.

Actively Support the Actions Being Taken By Residents and Local Organizations

Individuals and organizations like Antioch College are taking action now. Supporting these

actions can be done in a number of ways. The village can enact ordinances that provide support

to these actions and it can help advance these efforts through community recognition and

participation. Every reasonable effort should be made here.

For instance, we could establish a local award that recognizes individuals, businesses or

organizations that have taken decisive action to reduce GHG emissions and/or improve the

adaptability and resilience of our community to climate change. A specific recommendation on

the award will be made separately by the Environmental Commission to the Village Council.

Continue to Advance Local Renewable Affordable Electricity in Yellow Springs

The progress that Yellow Springs has made in increasing the percent of village electricity that

comes from renewable sources is a big step in the right direction. Continuing to advance this

position and improving our capacity to generate renewable energy locally is in line with climate

action and community resilience to climate change. This includes long-term planning that defines

a specific pathway to increasing the amount of electricity generated from local renewable sources.

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 19

Pursue the sale of our local renewable energy credit’s (RECs) and the purchase of lower cost RECs

and use the funds to help offset the anticipated rate increases. This could be done so that lower

and fixed income residents get a more of the benefit.

Increase Community Awareness about Opportunities to Lower Resident’s and Local

Business’s Carbon Footprint through Services Provided by the Village

There are many services that the village currently provides, through which individuals can lower

their carbon footprint. These include things like:

The Efficiency Smart program - http://www.efficiencysmart.org/;

Shopping, eating and staying (not driving to a big box retailer) local;

Promoting bicycling for transportation and utilizing the “full lane” and other amenities

provided to bicycles in Yellow Springs.

Include Climate Change Considerations in All Village Contracts and Purchases

Yellow Springs could pass a resolution or just act to make purchases that give preference to

goods and services that have a lower carbon footprint than other options but are of equal or

better quality and can be purchased at equal or lower cost.

Like is being done with the new solid waste and recycling contract, all environmental

considerations that can be included in contracts should be included as line item considerations so

that those which are not cost prohibitive can be selected.

Future Recommendations

Some recommendations that will likely be included in future versions of this report and would be

supported by a Climate Action Plan for Yellow Springs include recommendations in the following

areas:

Highly efficient housing and buildings

Zero waste and consumption minimization

Local and low GHG food and agriculture

Locally made and purchased goods and services

Low and zero GHG transportation.

Opportunities for Residents, Local Businesses and Local Organizations

Effective climate action requires the active involvement of individuals of all socioeconomic

statuses, businesses and organizations throughout the community. While the village government

can help these groups take action there is much that is dependent upon the individual. For

instance, providing renewable-based electricity helps all of these groups lower their carbon

footprint for the electricity they consume, but the individual must adopt behaviors to reach

carbon footprint size that all individuals need to have to impact climate change. The

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 20

recommendations in this section are intended to help all community members take meaningful

action in a way tailored to the unique aspects of Yellow Springs.

Become Informed on Climate Change

Assuming that you have read this report to this point, you should be at least reasonably informed

on climate change. There is a wealth of information on the internet including those sites

referenced in this report and many, many more as well as a myriad of books on the topic. We

encourage you to continue to educate yourself and stay current on the latest climate change

news.

Take Action to Lower Your Personal or Business Carbon Footprint – you often save money.

Taking action to lower your carbon footprint can be done in many ways. The actions cited in the

Climate Change Related Actions – Individuals, Businesses and Organizations section covers some

of the things you can do. You can also find a wealth of information on actions you can take by

conducting an internet search on the term “lower my carbon footprint.” The Greene County

Library also has a number of books on the topic that can be viewed online here:

https://library.gcpl.lib.oh.us/search/X?SEARCH=carbon+footprint.

For businesses, there are similar opportunities to lower the carbon footprint of your business

often resulting in cost savings. Again, there is a wealth of information on the internet including at

the EPA website.44

Get Involved with Others in Our Community

There are a number of local groups and organizations that you can get involved with to help drive

climate action. The local actions being taken cited in the Climate Change Related Actions –

Individuals, Businesses and Organizations section is a good place to start. If you would like to get

more involved and need assistance doing so, please seek out the authors of this report.

Perhaps most importantly, get involved with helping and supporting your friends, family and

neighbors reduce lower their carbon footprint and increase their personal resilience.

Businesses - Provide Lower GHG Options to Your Customers and Promote Your Efforts

Recent studies by both Nielsen45 and McKinsey & Company46 found that most consumers are

willing to pay more for green products and will preferentially choose green brands other

considerations being equal.

Long-term Vision: Taking Climate Action and Building Resilience Is Good For Yellow

Springs

Climate change is perhaps the biggest change that modern humanity has faced: In change there is

opportunity. Yellow Springs can seize the opportunity at hand to eliminate our climate negative

impact and become a more integrated, diverse, vibrant, and engaged community along the way.

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 21

We can define a path forward for Yellow Springs that brings new businesses selling locally

manufactured staple goods and new services providers providing nearly all the services our

community needs. We can become a village that generates net-zero waste, has expanded local

farming, has 100% local, renewable affordable energy, and environment where local low impact

tourism and higher education thrive – all while improving the quality of life for all residents and

our overall social and economic resilience. Doing this requires action by a broad range of

villagers, local business, local organizations, and the village government. The next step is to

continue to take action such as those recommended in this report.

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 22

References

1 Forbes Magazine: Do You Read Fast Enough To Be Successful?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/ 2 Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz; Yale University http://environment.yale.edu/climate-

communication/files/IntlPublicOpinion.pdf 3 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.ipcc-data.org/observ/ddc_co2.html

4 NASA – Global Climate Change: http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

5 NASA http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/matthews_01/

6 http://www.ipcc-data.org/observ/ddc_co2.html

7 NASA http://climate.nasa.gov/

8 NASA http://climate.nasa.gov/

9 IPCC Climate Change Synthesis Report AR5, 2014. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/

10 National Snow and Ice Data Center: http://nsidc.org/news/newsroom/arctic-sea-ice-maximum-reaches-

lowest-extent-record 11

NASA http://climate.nasa.gov/ 12

International Panel on Climate Change Working Group 2 (IPPC-WG2): http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/ 13

US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/future.html 14

STERN REVIEW: The Economics of Climate Change:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http://www.hm-

treasury.gov.uk/d/Executive_Summary.pdf 15

Nature: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-

impacts/ 16

http://newclimateeconomy.report/ 17

http://www.daraint.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CVM2ndEd-FrontMatter.pdf 18

https://www.iom.int/cms/climateandmigration 19

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research: https://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-

releases/archive/2013/climate-change-puts-forty-percent-more-people-at-risk-of-absolute-water-scarcity-

study 20

http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/12/124018 21

http://www.preventionweb.net/files/1090_foodproduction.pdf 22

http://www.ifpri.org/pressroom/briefing/impact-climate-change-agriculture 23

http://www.climatechange-foodsecurity.org/uploads/links.jpg 24

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/SYR_AR5_SPMcorr2.pdf 25

http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/overview/overview#intro-section-2 26

http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/overview/overview#intro-section-2 27

NOAA: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090126_climate.html 28

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/23/most-americans-believe-in-climate-change-but-give-

it-low-priority/ 29

Climate Action Tracker http://climateactiontracker.org/ 30

Climate Action Tracker http://climateactiontracker.org/ 31

Climate Alliance: http://www.climatealliance.org/ 32

International Panel on Climate Change Working Group 2 (IPPC-WG2): http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/ 33

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20131218/american-cities-tapped-spur-climate-resiliency-action-

worldwide 34

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/adapt-overview.html

Yellow Springs Quarterly Report on Climate Change – Q1 2015 P a g e | 23

35

Climate Change at the National Academies http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/sample-

page/panel-reports/panel-on-adapting-to-the-impacts-of-climate-change/ 36

United Nations Environment Programme:

http://www.unep.org/climatechange/adaptation/Introduction/tabid/6704/Default.aspx 37

http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/responses#intro-section-2 38

ICLEI Resilient Cities: http://www.iclei.org/our-activities/our-agendas/resilient-city.html 39

Transition Network: https://www.transitionnetwork.org/about 40

The Whitehouse: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/state-

reports/climate/Ohio%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

41

University of Maryland: Center for Integrative Environmental Research: Economic Impacts of Climate

Change on Ohio

http://cier.umd.edu/climateadaptation/Ohio%20Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf 42

University of Maryland: Center for Integrative Environmental Research: Economic Impacts of Climate

Change on Ohio

http://cier.umd.edu/climateadaptation/Ohio%20Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf 43

http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/economy.html 44

http://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/basic/fedresources.html 45

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2014/global-consumers-are-willing-to-put-their-money-

where-their-heart-is.html

46

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/manufacturing/how_much_will_consumers_pay_to_go_green